Usage patterns and impact fo smartphone on social behaviour of youth in Pakistan - Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Every year, the development in handheld communication technologies is being made at an extraordinary speed and the smartphone has seen a spectacular enhancement throughout the world. Today smartphone has become an essential gadget in our lives. In many ways, the smartphone facilitates our relationships enabling us to contact those who would not otherwise be able to converse face-to-face. In fact, smartphone has been converted into an all-in-one device as it provides access, like SMS, voice and video call, Internet through Wi-Fi, sharing and editing MS word files. It has become an important aspect of youth’s daily life that has moved from a mere ‘technological object’ to a key in ‘social object’. Despite of the fact, this device has projected many challenges and prospects. The overall functions and usage of the smartphone has attracted youth to different purposes and to perform various functions in their daily life. However, the present study is primarily a cross-sectional social survey applying quantitative approach. A questionnaire on five-point Likert scale was developed to collect the data from subjects. Cluster, multistage simple random and purposive sampling techniques were applied to select a sample from four universities. The sample comprised 800 subjects (male and female) studying at BA/BSc and MA/MSc level in selected universities (p.78). Different tests like Regression Analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Chi-Square and Cross-tabulation were applied to analyse the results and interpretation. The reliability of questionnaire was also assessed through Cronbach’s alpha which was 0.79 (p.80). Almost all the subjects (youth) were found using smartphone in different ways and at different times. Their responses showed that they were selective in using social network applications. The male subjects, in majority, used social applications for building social relationship as compared to female subjects. Most of the male subjects liked WhatsApp, Facebook, Round and Viber; whereas, female subjects had been using WhatsApp and Facebook only for social relationships. The overall results proposed that smartphone usage habits had impacted positively on the social behaviour of youth. Most of the subjects were found using smartphone in activities like making friends for social relationship, capturing pictures of friends during social gathering and sharing x them with other friends. They also used emails with smartphone for sharing some social events or other activities with friends. The overall findings documented that smartphone usage had a positive impact on values, beliefs, education, social relationship and social behaviour of youth in Pakistan which was significantly proved. The majority of the subjects agreed that smartphones usage led to increase social relationships, and had a positive impact on their social behaviour. The results of t-test of selected variables also proved that youth (both male and female) was more inclined to the smartphones usage. The results also showed that emerging patterns of social behaviour were associated with the smartphone usage in social connection. Based on findings, it has been suggested that university teachers may establish learning environment for youth like BYOD (By Your Own Demand) or SMILE (Smartphone Interactive Learning Environment). In the nutshell, it is convenient to conclude that the smartphone has become an essential part of the youth’s life for interaction, sharing, liking, etc. The most prominent findings were that youth with higher levels of smartphone usage had a greater tendency to engage in using social networking applications for social relationship.